Making A Grand Opening Count

For Smoothie King franchise owners Todd and Lorraine Pater, giving back to the community was part of their business plan from the start.

Just weeks before the doors were set to open, Todd and Lorraine found out that their grand opening would be the 800^th opening nationwide for Smoothie King’s growing franchise system. The brand was planning on bringing out the bells and whistles to mark the occasion, and it was up to the Paters to help execute.

“The opening was just the second of our 10-store contract, but for the brand, this opening was a major milestone,” said Todd Pater about the grand opening. “Smoothie King continues to grow rapidly throughout the country and I knew we were a great representation of that growth – not only as new franchise owners who signed on for a multi-unit contract – but also with being in the spotlight with the nation’s 800^th location. We immediately wanted to do our part to promote the brand and make a difference.”

With organizational help from the corporate team, the Paters decided to give away 800 free smoothies to the first customers in line during the grand opening. On top of this already massive contribution, they opted to rent a food truck and deliver nearly 400 smoothies to first responders within the greater Orlando area due to their active heroism

“The first responders were so appreciative of the support that we gave them when in reality, they are the ones protecting us every day,” said Pater. “It was our opportunity to give back with the eight stops we made to fire and police stations throughout Orlando.”

Now looking to build off this charitable momentum with their third location, Todd and Lorraine have continued to make community involvement a focus.

“We’re getting involved in the Chamber of Commerce in all three of the cities we serve – Oviedo, Doctor Phillips and Winter Springs in the hopes that they will help us partner with other local initiatives,” said Pater. “We’re also working to form partnerships with the athletic programs at elementary, middle and high schools in the greater Orlando area.”

Todd and Lorraine have already started working toward this goal by handing out smoothies at local sporting events, including providing nourishment to the local women’s volleyball team on their state championship run. To them, the support they offer is a win-win.

“Initiatives like this not only help us feel good for giving back but they help push sales and create brand awareness in a market where Smoothie King is really still a fairly new concept,” said Todd. “The more we get out in the local community, the better shot we have at creating loyal customers who will tell their friends to come pay us a visit.”

The Paters look forward to increasing brand awareness in the Orlando market as they continue expanding, but ultimately, they look forward to the positive impact they’ll make continuing to touch the lives of the communities they serve.